Areaway drains can get clogged with leaves, debris, and other items that prevent water from draining effectively. This can cause the water level to rise, eventually entering the house through the back door, basement or below grade. The prior art discloses drain covers that can prevent leaves and debris from clogging drains, but these drain covers must be checked and cleaned every time it rains to prevent the drains from clogging.
Some known drain covers are made of heavy and bulky products like metal, which can make them heavy and difficult to transport. For example, the drain cover disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,337,694 necessarily includes a handle to facilitate transport of the drain cover. Also, many known drain covers, like the ones disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,337,694 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/828,389 are elevated off the ground, which may cause a person to trip while walking by or over the drain cover.
The storm drain cover disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,043,498 contains projections extending upward from the top surface of the drain cover, impeding the passage of debris. This causes the drain cover to collect debris within the bumpy top surface, which is therefore difficult to clean. It is difficult to clean this drain cover, especially while in place over a storm drain, because the projections on the top surface hold the debris, making it difficult to remove collected debris, such as leaves, by sweeping.